The present invention relates to surgical retractors, and to devices for holding surgical retractors in a retraction position.
Most improvements in surgical retractor supports or clamps to hold surgical retractors in a retraction position are directed to improvements on devices that have been used to mount retractors on retractor supports using rigid mechanical clamps for restraints. However, in certain situations, retractors are still manually held by a nurse or a surgeon since no clamp provides such versatile holding characsteristics. There are no devices that will retain a retractor in the retraction position that is otherwise manually held from a typical retractor support. The Edoga U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,047 describes the use of a belt on which various types of retractor retaining mechanism are shown, especially in FIGS. 7a through 7i. However, these retaining mechanisms do not address the problem of quickly and easily retaining an otherwise manually held retractor. Furthermore, the retractor handle has to be specially adapted to engage the fastening mechanism.